Tooth-cleaner.



B. NESPER.

TOOTH CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILE!) mmo. l9l5.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

. JOHN BERTRAM NESPER, OF NARBERTH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOOTH-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 1a, 1915.

Application filed January 20, 1915. Serial No. 3,289.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, JOHN BERTRAM Nns- PER,a citizen of the United States, residing at Narberth, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tooth-Cleaners, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in tooth cleaners, the object ofthe invention being to provide a finger-receiving casing of absorbentmaterial such as pile fabric, especially adapted for use in connectionwith a liquid, paste, or powder, to thoroughly clean and polish theteeth.

A further object is to provide a tooth cleaner of the-character statedhaving a flange or rib extending around the end of the casing and alongone side, said flange or rib adapted to clean between the teeth andremove particles of food which might accumulate in out of the wayplaces.

A further object is to provide a tooth cleaner of the character statedin which a thread is attached, and is adapted for binding the casing onthe firmer and also for cleaning between the teeth.

A further object is to provide a device of the character stated which isadapted for use in the mouth, either as atooth cleaner, or as a meansfor bathing the gums or cleaning the roof or other parts of the mouth,and which is absolutely sanitary and may be rendered antiseptic in anyapproved manner.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts as will be more fully herelnaiter described and pointed out in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective viewillustrating my improved tooth cleaner in operative position on theforefinger of the hand. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the deviceremoved, and Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section ,on the line 3-3of-Fig. 2.

1 represents the casing of my improved tooth cleaner. This casing ismade of a size and shape to receive and fit the fore-finger of the hand.It is to be understood. of course, that the casing will be larger thanan ordinary fore-finger,so that it will receive the finger of anyaverage hand.

The outer end of the casing is closed, and a bead or flange 2 isprovided around the end of the casing and along one side. This bead orflange is preferablv made in the formation of the casing, that is tosay, the casing is cut into the proper shape, and when the cut edges aresecured together to form the casing, it is sewed in such a manner that arelatively heavy bead or flange is formed. This bead or flange isstrengthened by any number of threads which may be sewed in any approvedmanner to give the necessary rigidity to the bead or flange, and at theend of the flange, adjacent the end of the casing, a thread 3 isattached. This thread 3 may constitute a portion of the thread used informing the bead or flange, and is of any desired lengthi The threadperforms the double function of binding the casing on the finger, andalso for cleaning between the teeth.

In Fig 1, I illustrate the manner of winding the thread around thecasing with sufficient pressure to hold the casing against longitudinalmovement during its manipulation in the mouth.

The free end of the thread may be held by means of the thumb 4 of thehand 5 as shown in Fig. 1, so that it cannot work loose. When the threadis to be used ;for cleaning between the teeth, its free end will be heldby the other hand, and worked backwardly and forwardly to dislodge anyparticles near the gums.

The casing 1 is composed, preferably, of absorbent pile fabric which maybe woven or knitted, and which is capable ofabsorbing and holding aquantity of liquid so that it can be rubbed on the teeth or gums. The.

device will hold the liquid, so that when pressed against the teeth, itwillforce the liquid between the teeth. This is also true when paste isused, and when the casing is moistened, it will hold powder and can bethen used with equal efficiency as with liquid or paste.

The surface of the casing will impart to the teeth the necessary polish.The bead or flange 2 will thoroughly clean and polish between the teeth,and in the recesses of the teeth and gums, and the thread 3 willthoroughly clean out or dislodge particles be-.

tween the teeth in addition to its function of holding the casing on thefinger.

My improved tooth cleaner can be manufactured and sold at an extremelylow price, and can be sterilized or otherwise treated 'to. render thesame thoroughly antiseptic.

While its principal object is for use as a tooth cleaner, it is alsocapable of a wide range of usefulness, especially in connection with thecare of the gums or membranes of the mouth. Such a cleaner is especiallyadapted for use in hotels and public places where the cleaners may bedis ensed in sanitary packages and used but or a single operation, andthen discarded, thus supplying to the public, tooth cleaners which areperfectly sanitary and which supply an emergency need. i

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangementof parts described without departing tion, and hence I do not limitmyself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at libertyto make such changes and alterafrom my lnventions as fairly fall withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A tooth cleaner, composed of a single piece of pilefabric having a beadacross one end and along one side formed at the seam of the casing andproviding a rough surface, and a tooth cleaning cord projecting from theend of the bead and. constituting a part of the bead forming means,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN BERTRAM NESPER.

Witnesses:

L. P. MOY'ER, S. W. Fosrnm

